Your tall opaque robot is now illegal

[Abhishek R]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

Do you have any idea how much illegal stuff we find on robots late in the season? I've inspected at champs for a number of years, and found that teams that went through several events did so with something illegal on their ROBOT since the beginning. For example, I had to make one team rewired their entire robot after finding they used the wrong gauge wire.. And had competed at 3 events before champs!

We can't retroactively red card teams like that. You would see half the teams at a competition getting red carded for one or more matches when we do the finals reinspection, as we ALWAYS find stuff that the teams hadn't had respected during the event. I really, really doubt you or anyone else wants us to go to that extreme.

I don't doubt that. At the same time, retroactive red cards have a precedent and that's why I think it would be a good idea to eliminate gray area when we find it, such as in this Q&A.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by mwmac

Say goodbye to cheesecaking blockers on second picks.

Just cheesehole them enough for cameras to be able to see through them.

The solution to a cheese problem is always more cheese.

[mwmac]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Just cheesehole them enough for cameras to be able to see through them.

The solution to a cheese problem is always more cheese.

Are there any teams from Switzerland?

[CJ_Elliott]

Originally Posted by Karthik

Here's a device that was intended to block shots, not intended to interfere with sensors, that was forced to be modified. Seems like some head referees are interpreting this rule to mean that any device which blocks a camera, despite the intent, is illegal.

Sorry I am late to the discussion but here is what my issue with this entire decision is.

First, It is that there can be teams, who even if they are not designed to play defense, can put a big piece of something on their robot and be a great 3rd robot playing defense (see 1369 at Palmetto in week .5). Now. With this rule in place, if a team claimed that they couldn't shoot because of the big piece of something then even if the LRI had final say at inspection, now when they re-enter the field it is up to the Head Ref to decide whether it is made to block/deter balls or to mess with cameras. If Head Ref determines that it is illegal, now you have what happened at CVR. (Side note. Even if you cut 9" holes in whatever you are using as a blocker... reasonably how well could you line up with the defensive team simply moving back and forth?)

Second, theoretically say a team like 95 (Love the design btw) were to loose the ability to use their arm for a few matches and played defense with it... It's not designed to play defense but it probably would do one heck of a job at it. Now it is up to the Head Ref to determine if they are blocking balls or blocking cameras. Just my opinion.

[Lil' Lavery]

Once again, what happened at CVR was with regards to R9-A (blocking driver vision) as opposed to R9-C (blocking sensors). The LRI chose to side with the Head Ref, and advised teams that sheets capable of blocking driver vision were not allowed.

[CJ_Elliott]

But going back to my first point. Now we have an issue similar to what is happening in the NFL (for those of you that watch) with the runner vs. defenseless player thing. Essentially my point is that it should be common sense to say that if a team has something really tall and big on their robot, like 1369, it is for blocking boulders. Especially when there is no reason to suspect that they are trying to "play" with the sensors/cameras. Now if a team came onto the field with a mock tower with reflective tape/metal/what be it. Ok, that should be taken away.

A good defensive robot shouldn't have to be disabled because a game with already poor driver viewing has something on the field that is trying to block their boulders and just happens to be big and not exactly see-through.

[The Lucas]

I guess everyone should go stock up on nylon fishing net for cheesecaking purposes

[CJ_Elliott]

Originally Posted by The Lucas

I guess everyone should go stock up on nylon fishing net for cheesecaking purposes

And if you already have it because you're from Minnesota? We had too much fishing line before it was cool

[Woolly]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

Also wasn't that part of the design challenge did any low camera mounted teams not expect to have robots in front of them blocking their vision?

Well, that's the entire reason we have our camera mounted on our claw that extends to 40". I guess we can move it down to our drive base if we notice the LRI is disallowing opaque 4'6" blockers.

[The other Gabe]

Originally Posted by mwmac

Are there any teams from Switzerland?

we do have teams from Wisconsin, at least :v

[asid61]

If the rule bans interfering with sensing, would any robot with ultrasonic distance sensors immediately render defense bots illegal?
If it's a sheet meant to block balls (not just the camera) that should be fine... right?

[CJ_Elliott]

Originally Posted by asid61

If the rule bans interfering with sensing, would any robot with ultrasonic distance sensors immediately render defense bots illegal?
If it's a sheet meant to block balls (not just the camera) that should be fine... right?

That is the issue. That isn't necessarily the case

[Jared Russell]

Any robot made of matter exerts gravitational pull that messes with my accelerometer, and is therefore illegal.

(There, I think I've taken the pedantry to its logical conclusion)

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

Originally Posted by Jared Russell

Any robot made of matter exerts gravitational pull that messes with my accelerometer, and is therefore illegal.

(There, I think I've taken the pedantry to its logical conclusion)

I find this argument rather shallow and pedantic.

[IronicDeadBird]

Our robot uses echolocation to navigate I ask that NOBODY MAKE ANY NOISE otherwise we will fault you for disrupting our sensor abilities. Sorry you had 6 weeks to design with the fact that our team was going to use Echolocation its not my fault you didn't make a silent robot...